Pokemon: Ash's Yellow Rodent 08

To answer Guest's question, I have no intention of including the Orange Islands in this fic. I like the second season, but I don't think it would be necessary to include the Orange League in this fic. Despite that, I still wanted to use Tracey in a way that wouldn't require going to the Orange Islands, so that's why I decided to use him the way I'm doing it here.

Chapter 8: A Fiery Pokémon

A few hours later, Ash, Pikachu, Brock, and Misty continued their way towards Bill's house. They managed to bring the TM28 back to Officer Jenny, who thanked them for being able to find it. At this moment, Brock was looking down, disappointed.

"Come on, Brock. Don't be so sad." Ash said, trying to cheer him up.

"She didn't even kiss me as a reward. It's like she completely ignored my feelings for her." The breeder said in a sad tone.

"Don't be so down on yourself like that. You'll eventually find a girl you'll hook up with." Misty said. "Of course, it's easier said than done, but..."

"Hey! There's a house over there!" the boy from Pallet Town said, pointing at a house in front of them.

Said house had a green rooftop and a chimney on it.

"Well, we finally arrived at Bill's house, guys!" Misty proudly exclaimed.

"Great!" Ash said, enthusiastic. "Let's go meet him already!"

The three humans and the rodent ran up until they came right next to the house's entrance door. Misty knocked on the door. They waited several seconds until they realized no one was coming to open it. The red-haired girl knocked on the door again. For the second time in a row, nobody was opening the door to let them in.

"Hmm... That's odd." Misty said, slightly puzzled.

"Maybe he's not at home." Brock said.

"Wait..." The girl from Cerulean City then grabbed the doorknob and turned it around, causing the door to finally be opened. "Huh? The door wasn't even locked. He must be there, then."

The group of trainers entered the house. Inside of it, they noticed a desk with a computer on it. There was also some strange device, which looked like two small rooms connected with a metal tube.

"Whoa... What is that?" Ash wondered out loud, pointing at the device.

"I have no clue." The breeder shrugged.

"Pika..." Pikachu said.

Suddenly, they heard some noises. At this moment, a Pokémon appeared from behind the desk. This one had brown skin, two grey pincers with spikes on its head, flat teeth that were horizontal in its mouth, short legs, thin arms, and hands with three claws each.

"What the..." the boy began to say.

"It's a Pinsir." The teenager said.

"A b-b-b-b-b-b-bug-type Pokémon..." Misty nervously said, looking terrified.

"Huh?" Ash and Brock both said at once while looking at her.

"AAAAAAH!" the girl screamed in terror as she hid behind Ash, using the latter as a human shield.

"Hey!" the boy from Pallet Town exclaimed in annoyance. "What's the matter with you?"

"I can't stand bug-type Pokémon... They're too scary!" she exclaimed, scared.

"Excuse me, but could you help me, please?"

The heroes looked around, confused to hear that voice.

"Huh... Who said that?" Ash asked out loud.

"Turn your attention to the Pinsir in front of you." The voice said.

The heroes did so as they turned their heads towards the Pinsir.

"I'm the one who just talked." The voice said... coming from the Pinsir itself.

Ash and the others yelped in alarm at hearing the bug-type talking.

"Okay... First, Meowth, and now this Pokémon." The boy from Pallet Town said, sighing. "Is there any other Pokémon who can speak like a human?"

"Actually, I'm not really a Pokémon." The Pinsir said.

"What do you mean by that?" Brock asked.

"You see this device over there?" the bug-type asked, pointing at the device shaped like two rooms connected they saw earlier. "Well, it is a transportation machine and I was using it with the help of a Pinsir much earlier. Unfortunately, I accidentally activated the machine while the two of us were still inside of it. This had the unfortunate side effect of mixing our bodies into one. I would like to activate it back so I can reverse this experiment. However, I fear I would damage my equipment by using my clawed hands. As such, I need someone to press ENTER on the keyboard while I'm inside the machine."

Ash and the others looked astonished after hearing the Pinsir telling them all of that.

"Hum... Okay then." Brock said as he sat next to the desk and got himself ready to press on the keyboard. "I'm ready."

"Good." The Pinsir said before entering the machine through the right room.

Soon after, the breeder pressed ENTER, thus activating the machine. It caused several noises for several seconds. After a while, it stopped making noises and the Pinsir reappeared from the left room. However, it wasn't alone as a young man appeared from the left room as well. He had brown hair, brown eyes, a white shirt, a blue necktie, green pants, and brown shoes.

"Thank you very much." The young man said.

"Oh! Hi, Bill!" Misty said, finally recognizing him.

"Oh! Hi, Misty! It's been a while since we've seen each other." He said.

"Guys, this is Bill. Bill, these guys are Ash, Brock, and Pikachu." She said, introducing all of them to each other.

"Nice to meet you all." Bill said.

"Same thing here." Ash said before taking his Pokédex and scanning the Pinsir. "Now, let's see what Dexter has to say about that Pokémon."

"Pinsir. Bug-type Pokémon. It can crush its opponents with its pincers and it lives in warm places." The Pokédex said.

"Dexter?" Misty asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I decided to give a nickname to my Pokédex." The boy replied.

"So, what can I do for you?" the young man asked them.

"Well, we came because we were interested to meet the guy who created that big computer thing."

"The Pokémon Storage System..." Brock whispered to Ash.

"Hum... I mean the Pokémon Storage System, of course." The latter sheepishly said to Bill as he sweatdropped.

"I see." The young man said. "The Pokémon Storage System is probably my most well-known invention. I got the idea several years ago, when I realized that carrying several dozens of Poké Balls can be a bit problematic. As such, I worked hard enough until I managed to create this device. Everyone has been praising me for that invention, including Professor Oak himself. I don't want to sound pretentious or anything, but when you get praise from Professor Oak, that's saying a lot." He proudly said.

"I can see that." Ash said. "So... Aside from inventing stuff, is there anything else you do?"

"Some people, including myself, like to call me a Pokémaniac. That's because I like to learn stuff about Pokémon." Bill replied as he pointed on a nearby billboard, filled with notes and pictures of Pokémon. "Pokémon all have their own mysteries. Every day, I get to learn something about them in one way or another. They're simply fascinating."

"Pikachu..." the electric-type said, looking at all those notes.

"So... You're making researches like the professor?" Ash asked.

"You could say that, although I'm not on the same level as Samuel Oak. Either way, there are still some mysteries that, for some reason, I just can't figure out." Bill said. "For example, take a look at this picture." He said, pointing at a picture of a huge Pokémon that looked like a dragon, covered by fogs. "This is a Pokémon I've been trying to communicate with for a while. And yet, I'm still not sure what species it is..."

"It's a Dragonite."

Everyone turned to look at Brock.

"What did you just said?" the young man asked the breeder.

"It's a Dragonite. I mean... Isn't it obvious? Look at its shape. It's clearly a Dragonite. Admittedly, it seems larger than usual, but it still looks like a Dragonite." The latter replied.

Bill took a closer look at the picture and realized that it was, indeed, a Dragonite.

"Oh... You're right." He said, before clearing his throat. "Anyway, is there anything I can do to thank you for helping me when I was a Pinsir?"

"Well... Nothing comes to mind..." Ash began to say.

"Oh! I know what I can do." The young man said before taking three tickets from his desk. "These are tickets allowing you to visit the S.S. Anne."

Misty gasped in joy before grabbing all three tickets at once.

"The S.S. Anne?! One of the most famous boats in the world?! It's fantastic!" she joyfully exclaimed.

"I was invited to go visit that boat with two friends I could bring with me. However, I'm a bit busy in my works, so I thought someone else should get my tickets." Bill said.

"Thanks a lot for those tickets." Ash said, smiling.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed, smiling as well.

"Don't thank me. It's nothing really." The young man said.

"Where will we be able to visit that boat?" Brock asked.

"It should be at Vermillion City."

"Whoa... Talk about a coincidence. That's also where we planned to go next after visiting you." The boy from Pallet Town said.

"The night is getting closer, though." Misty said, looking at a nearby window and noticing the sky getting darker. "Say, Bill, would you mind if we stay here for the night?"

"Of course not. You're welcome to stay here before leaving tomorrow if you want to." Bill replied.

"Thanks a lot, Bill." The girl said, with Ash nodding.

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After eating and then sleeping the previous night, the heroes woke up and got ready to leave. Ash, Pikachu, Brock, and Misty waved at Bill and his Pinsir as they left the young man's house. The red-haired girl briefly panicked at the sight of the bug-type Pokémon, but she forgot about it and instead decided to focus her thoughts on their upcoming visit at the S.S. Anne, all while they walked into a forest.

"I can't wait to visit the S.S. Anne!" Misty exclaimed with joy.

"I can't wait to get my third badge!" Ash exclaimed, determined.

"Pika, Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed, sharing his trainer's enthusiasm.

"I can't wait to meet the pretty girls there." Brock said, blushing.

"Hey! Stop right there!"

The heroes stopped on their tracks as they looked around, confused to hear that voice. They suddenly noticed a boy with blue hair, wearing a pink shirt, a red shirt underneath, a brown vest, black pants, a brown belt, and white boots.

"Who are you?" Ash asked.

"I'm Damian." The blue-haired boy replied. "Have you seen any Charmander here?"

"A Charmander?" the boy from Pallet Town asked, looking interested.

"Yes. Apparently, this forest is known for having some Charmander you can catch."

"Really? Awesome!" Ash exclaimed enthusiastically. "Pikachu, let's go find a Charmander so I can catch it." He said to his Pokémon.

"Pika!" the rodent nodded.

"Thanks for telling me about it!" the young exclaimed to the blue-haired boy while running away along with Pikachu.

"What!? No! Come back here!" Damian yelled in annoyance. "Oh! I should have been more careful and not tell anyone about it. But no, I had to tell some moron there's Charmander here!" he said before running away, hoping to get a Charmander before Ash does.

"Something tells me it's going to take longer than planned before we arrive in Vermillion City." Misty said, sighing.

"In the meantime, let's try to find Ash and Pikachu." Brock said.

The red-haired girl nodded before they ran after the boy and his Pokémon.

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Several minutes later, Ash and Pikachu were walking around the forest still looking for a Charmander. The trainer looked carefully around, making sure he wouldn't miss the sight of that Pokémon.

"So far, nothing at all. Let's not lose hope yet." He said.

"Pika-pi!" Pikachu exclaimed while pointing at a nearby mountain.

Ash looked up and noticed a Pokémon sleeping next to the edge of some cave set in that mountain. It was an orange-skinned lizard, with a few fangs inside its mouth. Its underside was cream-colored. It also had three claws on each foot, and a flame at the tip of its tail. The trainer smiled in amazement at the sight of that Pokémon.

"Sweet!" he gleefully said before taking his Pokédex to scan it.

"Charmander. Fire-type Pokémon. Its flame burns ever since its birth and is used as a sign of how good its health is." Dexter said before Ash put it back in his pocket.

"Pikachu, get ready." He said to the rodent.

"Pika." The latter nodded.

The trainer and his Pokémon climbed up carefully, making sure they weren't making too many noises that would wake up the fire-type. After a while, they finally arrived next to the Charmander. Ash stood up while Pikachu stood on all four, ready to fight against the fire-type. Suddenly, the fire-type opened his blue eyes and noticed the trainer and the electric-type.

"Charmander." The reptile said.

"Sorry if we awoke you, Charmander, but we want a fight against you." Ash said.

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded.

"Hold it right there!"

The three of them turned around and noticed Damian running towards them. The latter stopped right next to these three.

"I won't let you catch this Charmander! He's mine!" Damian shouted.

"What!?" Ash exclaimed in disbelief. "What are you talking about? I saw it first, so I get to fight it first!"

"You wouldn't even know there were Charmander around here if I hadn't told you."

"Well, SORRY for wanting to capture a Pokémon like any other trainer would." The boy from Pallet Town sarcastically said.

"You will have to find another one, idiot. Graveler, go!" the blue-haired boy exclaimed as he threw a Poké Ball.

Another Pokémon appeared. This one looked like a Geodude. However, it was much bigger, its mouth had a different shape, it had a pair of legs, and it also had two more arms. Its hands had three fingers each instead of five, too.

"What the...?" Ash said before grabbing his Pokédex and scanned the Pokémon.

"Graveler. Rock-type and ground-type Pokémon. Evolved form of Geodude. It is able to roll down mountains and even roll over any obstacles." Dexter said.

"Get ready to fight, Graveler!" Damian ordered.

"Hey! I was here first!" Ash exclaimed in annoyance.

"Not anymore. Graveler, throw sand at that boy!"

"Graveler!" the rock/ground-type shouted before picking sand from the ground and throwing it at Ash's eyes.

The boy from Pallet Town yelled in pain as the sand was blinding him.

"Ow! It hurts!" he yelled.

Because of the sand in his eyes, Ash was unable to see where he was going. All of sudden, he tripped and slid down the side of the mountain, screaming while doing so.

"Pika-Pi!" Pikachu exclaimed before going after him.

"Good! No more idiot to bother me!" Damian proudly exclaimed before turning his attention towards the Charmander. "Now, it's your turn."

"Char!" the reptile exclaimed before running inside the cave.

"Hey! Come back here!" the blue-haired boy yelled as he and his Graveler chased after the Charmander.

Down the mountain, Ash was too dazed after hitting his head against a tree.

"Pika-Pi!" Pikachu exclaimed as he arrived next to his trainer.

"Pikachu... Could you please stop this place from spinning around?" the latter said in a dazed tone.

"Pika..." the rodent sighed.

Soon enough, the trainer shook his head, coming back to his senses.

"Quick! We've got no time to waste!" Ash exclaimed before climbing the mountain again.

"Pikachu!" the electric-type exclaimed as he followed him.

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Inside the cave, which had several stalactites on the ceiling, the Charmander was running away from the blue-haired trainer and his Graveler. After a while, the reptile stopped running when it realized it reached a dead end. It turned around, noticing Damian and his Pokémon right behind.

"No more running for you!" the blue-haired boy exclaimed. "Graveler, use Rock Throw!"

"Graveler!" the rock/ground-type exclaimed as he grabbed a nearby rock and threw it at the Charmander.

The latter yelped in pain as it received the rock on the head. The reptile wasn't ready to give up as it charged at its opponent and breathed fire at it.

"Dodge it, now!" Damian ordered.

The Graveler leapt out of the way from the fire.

"Use Harden, Graveler!"

"Graveler!" his Pokémon said as it briefly glowed brightly.

"Charmander!" the reptile exclaimed.

Soon after, the Charmander tried to slash its opponent. However, it did little to no damage to the Graveler.

"And now, time for Tackle!" the blue-haired trainer ordered.

The rock/ground-type charged at the Charmander and tackled it away. The reptile fell on its stomach. It struggled to stand up, not ready to give up the fight.

"Just give it up already! You don't stand a chance against my Graveler!" Damian proudly exclaimed.

"Hey! You!"

Damian turned around to see Ash and Pikachu arriving nearby.

"You again! For crying out loud, get lost, you moron!" the blue-haired boy exclaimed in annoyance.

"I'm not a moron, Damian!" the boy from Pallet Town exclaimed in annoyance.

"Whatever. I won't let you interrupt my fight! Graveler, jump on that idiot and teach him a lesson!" Damian ordered his Pokémon.

"Graveler!" the rock/ground-type exclaimed as it jumped high in the air.

It jumped so high and so fast, it hit the ceiling. However, it seemed the ceiling wasn't stable as it was shaking, causing several stalactites to fall down. Damian panicked at the sight of that.

"Run for your life!" the blue-haired boy yelled as he ran away towards the exit.

"Graveler!" his Pokémon exclaimed as it ran after him.

Suddenly, Ash's eyes widened when he noticed a stalactite falling towards the weakened Charmander, the latter who was still struggling to stand up.

"WATCH OUT!" the boy from Pallet Town screamed as he leapt at the reptile and pushed him out of the way.

The fire-type slid a few feet away before stopping. It turned around and gasped at the sight of Ash being crushed by the stalactite on his back.

"Pika-Pi!" Pikachu yelled in panic.

"Charmander!" the reptile exclaimed in shock.

The young trainer groaned in pain as he seemed too tired to move.

"Man... It hurts..." he said, in a tired tone.

"Char! Charmander!" the reptile exclaimed as he found the strength to stand up.

The fire-type came right next to Ash and pushed on the stalactite, trying to remove it from his back. Pikachu didn't waste any more time as he arrived next to the Charmander and helped him push the stalactite. After a while, they finally managed to push it out of the way, freeing Ash from its weight. The boy from Pallet Town sat on the ground, rubbing his back.

"I'm starting to feel better..." he said before turning his attention towards Pikachu and the Charmander. "Thanks a lot, guys."

"Pikachu!" the rodent exclaimed with a smile.

"Char, Char, Charmander?" the reptile asked, looking confused.

"Huh? Did you ask a question? I'm sorry. I don't understand the Pokémon language." Ash said.

"Char, Char, Charmander?" the fire-type repeated its question.

"Pika-Pi." Pikachu said as he tugged Ash's sleeve.

"What is it, Pikachu?" the trainer asked.

"Pika." The rodent said as he pointed back and forth between the Charmander and the stalactite.

Soon enough, the boy started to understand the question.

"Wait... I'm not sure, but I think I got it. You are wondering why I pushed you out of the way when that stalactite was about to crush you. Am I right?" he asked the fire-type.

"Char." The latter nodded.

"Well, I wouldn't let anyone getting hurt like that. And seeing you had trouble standing up, I knew you wouldn't be able to dodge it, so I had to help you." Ash replied.

"Char." The Charmander said before looking down in sadness.

"What's wrong? Is something bothering you?" the trainer asked.

"Charmander." The reptile said as it looked towards where Damian ran away.

After several seconds thinking about what the Pokémon was trying to say, the boy suddenly thought about something.

"Let me guess. You're sad because that other boy abandon you, even though he was trying to catch you and make you part of his team." Ash said.

"Char." The fire-type nodded.

"Yeah. I'd feel down too in your place if I was abandoned like that."

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed as he snapped his fingers.

The rodent came just a bit closer to where the Charmander was.

"Pika, Pika, Pika-Pika, Pikachu." The electric-type said.

"Char?" the fire-type asked.

"Pika. Pi, Pikachu, Pika, Pika, Pi. Pika, Pika, Pika-Pi."

"Charmander?"

"Pika! Pikachu, Pi, Pi, Pikachu, Pika, Pika-Pika. Pika-Pi, Pikachu, Pika. Pi, Pika, Chu, Chu, Pikachu."

"Charmander, Char?" the reptile asked, looking a bit confused.

"Pika!" the rodent replied.

"Char!" the Charmander replied, smiling widely.

"If only it was possible to have subtitles to read what the Pokémon are saying..." Ash said, sighing.

"Pika-Pi!" Pikachu exclaimed as he turned to look at his trainer. "Pikachu, Pika-Pika, Pika-Pi."

"What are you saying?" the trainer said, puzzled.

"Pikachu..." the rodent pointed towards the Charmander. "...Pika-Pika... Pika-Pi." He then pointed at Ash.

The latter gave it some thoughts as he tried to understand what Pikachu was trying to say.

"Hmm... I'm going to take a guess and say... Charmander wants something from me." The boy said.

"Pika." Pikachu nodded.

"Hmm... Does he want to fight?"

"Pika." Pikachu shook his head.

"He doesn't. Okay then. In that case... Does he want to eat?"

Pikachu was about to reply before giving it some thoughts. He looked at the Charmander, who shook his head. The electric-type then looked back at Ash and shook his head as well.

"Hmm..." Ash gave it more thoughts before finding an answer that might be the right one. "So... Does he want to join us?"

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded.

"Char!" the Charmander nodded as well, smiling widely.

The boy from Pallet Town smiled at the fire-type.

"Welcome to the team." He said.

"Charmander!" the reptile exclaimed with joy as he leapt at Ash and hugged him.

The trainer laughed with joy as he hugged back the fire-type. He grabbed an empty Poké Ball from his pocket and gently threw it at the Charmander. The latter turned into a red light and disappeared inside the Poké Ball. It didn't take long before the Poké Ball stopped shaking, confirming the capture of the Pokémon.

"I've caught a Charmander!" Ash yelled in joy as he held the Poké Ball in the air.

"Pi-Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed as he made a peace sign.

Suddenly, something strange happened as the Poké Ball was glowing brightly. Ash and Pikachu were puzzled at the sight of that. Then, just like that, the Poké Ball disappeared into thin air. The trainer's eyes widened in panic before he looked around.

"But... But... What just happened!? Where did it went!?" Ash exclaimed, confused by this strange event.

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Outside the cave, down the mountain, Brock and Misty were looking for Ash.

"Ash! Pikachu!" the girl shouted. "Where are you?"

"Ash! Pikachu! It's us, Brock and Misty!" the teenager shouted before Misty sighed.

"Where could these two be now?" she wondered out loud.

"Hey! Guys!"

The two of them looked up and noticed Ash sliding down the mountain, with Pikachu on his shoulder. The boy arrived right next to the breeder and the red-haired girl. Ash caught his breath as he arrived.

"Where have you been?" Misty asked.

"And why do you look so tired?" Brock asked.

"To make a long story short, I've managed to catch a Charmander." The young trainer replied.

"Well, congratulations, Ash." The girl said, smiling.

"However, for some reason, the Poké Ball I used to catch Charmander started to glow brightly and then disappeared into thin air just like that!" the boy exclaimed, panicking.

"Calm down, Ash." Brock said in a calm tone. "I think I know what just happened. How many Pokémon did you manage to get before getting Charmander?"

"Hum... There's Pikachu... Nidorina... Metapod... Pidgeotto... Rattata, and Bulbasaur. That makes it six."

"There you go. A Pokémon Trainer can only carry six Pokémon at once. And once you already have six of them, the ones you catch afterwards will be sent to the one place where you received your Pokédex."

"So... That means Charmander is at Professor Oak's laboratory." Ash realized what that meant.

"Exactly. See? Nothing to worry about." The breeder said with a reassuring smile.

"Well, that's a relief." Ash sighed, calming down.

"Hey, you moron!"

The heroes turned around and noticed Damian coming nearby.

"What happened to that stupid Charmander?" the blue-haired trainer asked in an annoyed tone.

"First of all, he is NOT stupid." The boy from Pallet Town said, glaring at Damian. "Second of all, I've managed to catch it. He's part of my team now."

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed, glaring at Damian too.

"What!?" the blue-haired boy exclaimed in disbelief before frowning at Ash. "Fine! Whatever! I didn't want to have such a lousy Pokémon anyway! He was too easy to weaken for such a Pokémon. Have fun with that loser!" Damian exclaimed before walking away.

"Hey! Stop insulting Charmander!" Ash yelled in annoyance.

He was about to run after Damian and teach him a lesson before Brock and Misty grabbed him by his sleeves.

"Don't bother with that jerk, Ash." The girl said.

"People like him aren't even worth wasting our time." The breeder added.

Reluctantly, the boy from Pallet Town gave up what he was about to do, allowing Brock and Misty to let go of his sleeves.

"I guess you guys are right." Ash said, sighing before looking at his traveling companions with determination. "Come on. We still have to go to Vermillion City!"

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End of chapter.

Ash managed to capture a Charmander. Next time, the heroes arrive in Vermillion City.

In the episode where Bill appeared, he kept saying how he had no idea who the mysterious Pokémon was, when it was so obvious it was a Dragonite. I decided to make fun of it in this chapter. If I offended any fan of Bill here, I apologize because it wasn't my intention.

So, in "Pokémon: Yellow Version", you were given a Charmander by some guy who wanted a good trainer to take care of him. However, I decided to mix things up by having Charmander's introduction here be inspired by Cyndaquil's introduction episode from the Johto Journeys.

I have no idea if the weight of a stalactite would have broken Ash's back in real life. However, given that Team Rocket is somehow able to survive falling down from any height in just about every episode, I guess that the rules of real life injuries don't really matter here.

Read and review!